


Scraping By

by SmugSpecter



Category: Bugsnax (Video Game)
Genre: All the couples are so gosh dang nice and wholesome, Dad! Wambus, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I wanted to write Triffany and Wambus being paternal, Minor Injuries, Mom! Triffany, The Journalist gets yeeted like a crash test dummy, While not stated yet Buddy uses she/they pronouns, the Journalist is also called Buddy because I like that headcanon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:35:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27984708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmugSpecter/pseuds/SmugSpecter
Summary: What do you do when your isolated community splits apart, then slowly reforms with your only doctor MIA? Try your best not to die, of course!(Collection of Bugsnax one-shots, taking place in various parts of the story with the Journalist and Snaxburg residents. I can’t imagine in the months with Eggabell missing and the Journalist showing up on the island that medical emergenciesdidn’thappen and the residents had to do the best with what they had. WIll be heavy with spoilers in some chapters, so be warned. Also going to fit as many food puns in the chapter titles as I possibly can)
Relationships: Eggabell Batternugget/Elizabert Megafig, Filbo Fiddlepie & The Journalist, Gramble Gigglefunny/Wiggle Wigglebottom, Snorpy Fizzlebean/Chandlo Funkbun, Triffany Lottablog & The Journalist, Triffany Lottablog/Wambus Troubleham, Wambus Troubleham & The Journalist
Comments: 42
Kudos: 215





	1. Getting A Slice

“Getting A Slice”

(Grumpuses in town: Filbo, Triffany, Wambus, Gramble, Beffica)

The desert canyon’s air was as hot and sand-filled as ever while I worked on catching a particularly wily Sweetiefly.

Triffany had asked for some help at her dig site, cracking open what she was 98% sure was another mausoleum of the Desert-dwelling Grumpuses (“Might also just be an old dinin’ hall” she said), to compare what remains there might be to the ones she had found buried not too far underground. I obliged, since it was a small chance to pick up a clue to a not dead-end lead of Lizbert’s whereabouts, and an ample opportunity to catch more Bugsnax- another task among the others that's been put into my paws to help the scattered community, and one I’m finding myself enjoying.

… Mostly. This Sweetiefly was starting to get on my nerves.

It’s simple pattern of flitting about and taking short naps had changed once I missed it the first time with the airborne trap. It spun in wild figure-8’s, making it near impossible to lock the Lunchpad onto it- and the situation only got more tedious with every failed attempt needing me to recall the trap from the bottom of the canyon. It didn’t help that the wind occasionally kicked up sand long enough to obscure my vision and make my eyes water. Even walking back down to the bottom and coming back didn’t help, since as soon as it saw me it went back to its dizzying flight path.

I decided to adjust my position one more time, scooting further along the edge of the plateau with my equipment. ‘ _Maybe, if luck would give me a break, I could bank the trap off the wall and finally snag this thing._ ’ I thought bitterly. It was a matter of pride at this point between me and this bugsnak- proving my journalistic integrity to an animated lollipop whose sentience didn’t seem that deep half an hour ago.

I waited impatiently for the perfect moment, paw twitching over the launch button. This would be my (tenth) final attempt to catch this thing, I promised myself; I had wasted enough time on a one-sided vendetta on the verge of looking like a skit straight from a cartoon. This flying migraine was going to be someone’s dinner. Maybe.

Even with my attention fully on the Sweetiefly, and the moans of the wind whistling through the rocks in my ears, something nagged at me. A tiny memory wriggled at the edge of my mind, almost urgent. I was forgetting something important about this spot, but I couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

“...-unger?”

Wait...

“Bunger!”

Uh-oh.

I whipped my head around in time to see a Bunger- now charging at full speed- with its wild googly eyes locked onto me. Me, who was perched right at the edge of the plateau.

“Wait, wait, WAIT!” I yelled, paws waving frantically. I didn't get a chance to get myself on my feet to dodge its enthusiastic rampage- it had already closed the short distance between us. Curly-fry horns collided with my body and sent my world spinning, a delighted “ _Bunger!_ ” fading away as I was vaulted off the edge screaming and twirling like a ragdoll.

I connected painfully with the opposing wall of the canyon and tumbled the rest of the way down- feeling an edge catch my arm at some point in my roll- and landed with a splash in the river below. My head pounded, swarmed with pain, adrenaline, and, hopefully, not a brain hemorrhage. I had enough sense of mind to roll onto my back and avoid drowning in the shallow waters- which, for all Snaktooth Island has to offer, would be a rather boring way to go.

 _‘Deep, slow, breaths,_ ’ I chanted internally, doing my best to slow my heart rate and stifle the very real fear that I might have severely injured myself. ‘ _Try to sit up slowly, avoid inhaling water, and salvage some of your dignity while you’re at it._ ’

I had managed to get myself propped up on my elbows when a searing pain flared over my arm in protest. A glance to my right confirmed that my fear was correct- I had indeed, severely injured myself.

A decently sized cut sat halfway up my arm and parted my fur, almost lacing itself the whole way around. I didn’t need to look much further to see it was already starting to bleed- and I really didn’t want to keep looking. My steady breaths began to stutter as I tried to ward off the queasiness starting to wash over me.

“Whew, okay, _okay,_ ” I muttered shakily, paws digging at the mud beneath me. “This is fine. I’m fine. Just a little… big cut on my arm. All I have to do is sit up-”

It felt like a hot knife was being stabbed into me as soon as I tried to move. I fell back into the chilly water with a yelp and clamped my paw tightly over the cut. My thoughts swam with fear- did Triffany have any medical supplies at her dig site? If not, was there something back in town I could use to cover this wound up? Just how deep was it? The trek back to Snaxburg wasn’t far but it seemed so long now with an arm I couldn’t use, and that was assuming my legs were okay too. It hurt so, _so_ much…

“Hello? Are you alright over here? I heard a scream and- _oh_ , my goodness!”

I knew it looked bad- me, lying motionless in the river, bleeding- but the way Triffany gasped once she saw me had me thinking that maybe it was a little worse than I initially thought. At some point I had shut my eyes to help block out the pain, but I could hear her uneven footsteps as she sloshed through the river to get to me.

“Oh, gracious, what _happened_ to you?” she asked as I felt her paw tenderly rest on my good side.

I groaned before taking in a deep breath. “Bunger launched me off the edge. Got distracted trying to catch a different bugsnak and forgot it was still there.” I exhaled shakily before continuing. “I got a pretty good cut on my arm when I hit the canyon wall… could use some help standing up, too.” I knew firsthand seeing Filbo get sent flying by one into a tree that they could do real harm, but my ordeal was giving me a new appreciation for how deadly these stupid burgers with legs could be.

Triff hummed in acknowledgement. “Alright. I’m gonna get my paws behind your shoulders and help you sit up for starters. Let me know if it gets too painful for ya, ok?”

____________________________

The walk back to Snaxburg had been easier than I expected, almost all of it thanks to Triffany supporting me on my left and talking with me to keep my mind somewhat off the pain. Shortly after we stepped off the bridge, Filbo was there to greet us. I was dreading this.

“Hey! You’re back earrr... oh _jeez_ , Buddy! W-what happened?!” Filbo stuttered. I opened my mouth to give a brief summary but Triffany cut me off.

“In a moment, Filbo. I need you to go get Wambus, tell him to bring a bucket of water to my tent, and you bring back a seat, alright?”

“Y-yes ma’am! I’m on it.” he gave a quick salute before hurrying off to Wambus’ farm. With Filbo off to get help, Triffany led me over to her research tent and had me lean against one of the tables. Now that I had something else to support myself, she let go of my arm and hurried over to my right.

“Ok, let’s get a look at that cut. Do you mind removing your paw for me?” she asked in a gentle tone. I hesitated for a moment, before gingerly letting go of my arm. It hurt to touch, but it hurt just as much to let it be exposed again. I let Triffany raise my arm up to get a better look, and braced myself.

Even with expecting it, and the archaeologist’s careful handling, as soon as she tried to push away my matted fur I hissed in pain and jerked my arm away on reflex. Or rather I tried to, at least. Triffany’s other paw had a strong grip on my elbow.

“Hold on, you gotta relax a little. I can’t get a good idea of how bad it is if you’re squirmin’ now.” she said firmly. I exhaled through gritted teeth and tried to ease up the tension in my body.

“I know, I know.” I mumbled. “It just hurts, a lot.” This wasn’t my first time getting a bad cut, but with Dr. Batternugget missing, and me without any of the supplies I had packed for my trip here, fear was clawing at my common sense.

“I know, Dear,” Dear? That was new. “but we’re gonna take good care of ya. Why don’tcha squeeze the edge of the table there while I look? I’ll be quick.” she said in her usual upbeat tone. The look in her eyes was different from what I had seen before- soft, almost motherly. I stared for a brief moment before giving a curt nod, and turned my attention to my feet. Which was a mistake. Looking down I noticed the trail of blood I had left behind, and the nausea I had before came back in full force.

I turned my head away and focused on the huts instead. Per her instructions, I squeezed the end of her observation table as she checked. It felt like I was going to break the edge off, as I clamped down with all my strength to not yank my arm away from her touches. Triffany hummed absentmindedly.

“Well, I don’t see any bone, and it _looks_ like you didn’t tear the muscle either.” the green grumpus tapped her chin thoughtfully before sighing. “It would be nice to have access to Eggabell’s medical supplies, but I’ve got some extra gauze here that we can use.” She let go of my arm to reach under the table, pulling out a small, rather dusty box. “It’s a good thing she made me this first-aid kit a while back, eh? Oh, good! There they are.”

I looked over to see Wambus and Filbo approaching with what Triffany had requested. Filbo hurriedly set the log-turned-makeshift seat next to me before stepping back to make room for Wambus. The farmer took one look at me before letting out a long whistle.

“That’s quite the look you’ve got there. What happened to you, Stranger?” he rumbled as he passed the bucket of water and a rag to Triff. I let out a weary sigh before settling down on the seat.

“Bunger got the drop on me because I wasn’t paying close enough attention. Got shoved off a cliff and cut my arm in the fall.”

Wambus let out a disapproving _tch_ and crossed his arms. “I’ve always hated those things. The only thing they’re good for is food.” he growled. Filbo covered his mouth with his Strabby-paws at hearing my explanation.

“Wow, that’s awful Buddy… a-are you gonna be ok?” he asked, the usual look of worry in his eyes.

I nodded- he didn’t need to know just how in pain I was right now. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.”

The sloshing of water brought my attention back to Triffany, who was wringing out the rag in preparation to clean up my wound.

“Oh, uh, I can do that. You’ve helped me a lot already.” I said as I held out my left paw to take the rag. She shook her head and brought my arm back up to her.

“Nonsense, Dear. I don’t mind gettin’ you patched up. It’s the least I can do, since you’ve been helpin’ us with just about everything here.” she chuckled. I could feel my face flush a little at her comment. I couldn’t say I was used to such… generosity from total strangers.

Triffany got to work, carefully dabbing away the blood and mud stuck to my fur. I inhaled sharply through my teeth and clutched tightly at the edge of my seat. My discomfort didn’t go unnoticed by Wambus, who tilted his head toward me.

“It’s alright, Stranger,” he said in a gentle rumble. “Yer in good paws. Triffy’s gonna take care a’ ya.” He offered me a reassuring smile, which helped ease the stress a little.

Before I knew it Triffany had set the rag aside and opened up the first-aid kit, grabbing the gauze and a modestly sized bottle of antiseptic. “Ok, we’re almost done. Just keep talkin’ with Wambus while I get you wrapped up.”

We made small talk- I asked how his farm was doing, and he asked me how my investigation was going. It wasn’t the most natural conversation, but it kept me distracted long enough for Triffany to finish dressing my wound. “Alrighty! You’re good to go.” she chirped. I turned my arm over, inspecting her handiwork. While it still hurt a fair bit- and part of that was most likely from the bruising coming on- my arm did feel somewhat better.

“Thanks, Triffany.” I said quietly. “And you too, Wambus, Filbo.”

The farmer tipped his hat to me. “Anytime, Stranger.”

Filbo nodded. “No problem, Buddy! Though, uh, sorry I couldn’t be more helpful.” he added on sheepishly. I shook my head, slowly getting back up on my feet.

“It’s fine, Filbo. Really.” I assured him. Now that my adrenaline was wearing off, I could feel just how sore and tired I was. “I think, I’m gonna go lie down in my ship.” my statement further accentuated with a yawn.

I reached down lazily to grab my bag, only to realize in a panic that I had left it and my equipment behind.

“Oh, shoot! My stuff is still at the Gorge!” It’s not like there was anyone who would steal it (though maybe that Cromdo guy would) but my journal, along with my tape recorder, and what little evidence I had so far on Liz, was too important to leave behind. As soon as I had turned to go back, Wambus caught me by my shoulder.

“Whoa there, you can’t go back out in the state yer in.” he said firmly. “Triffy and I can go fetch yer stuff, you need to lie down for a while.” I turned back to argue, but what rebuttal I had died on my tongue with the look he was giving me. It was a ‘ _Do it or I’ll make you do it_ ’ kind of stare, and I wasn’t about to challenge what was one of the strongest Grumpuses here. As much as my stubbornness wanted to.

I slumped my shoulders in defeat. “Are you ok with doing that?” I asked.

Wambus crossed his snakified arms and gave me that cheeky smile of his. “Wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t, Stranger.”

Triffany hummed in agreement. “You go rest, Dear. We’ll be back with your things soon.” The couple gave me no further room to protest as they set off together to the Gorge.

Filbo came up beside me, scratching the back of his head. “Hey uh, if you want, you can go rest in my bed, so you don’t have to walk all the way up the hill.”

I sighed and shook my head, ignoring the hurt look on his face. “That’s a kind offer, Filbo, but I don’t want to bleed all over your bed.” Which was true- I would feel bad if I ruined what I assumed was his only good set of bedsheets.

“Oh yeah, good point.” he laughed awkwardly. “Well, would you at least like me to walk you to your ship? I-I don’t want you to trip on the way there. It’ll be hard for you to look for Lizbert if you’re all banged up.”

I mulled it over for a moment. I could tell he was trying his best to be helpful, and while he had a good point, I was starting to feel awkward with all the kindness that’d been given to me. It wasn’t that I thought I didn’t deserve it per se, but… it was definitely something new for me. It didn’t help that he was giving me those puppy-dog eyes, too.

“Sure,” I said finally. “I’d like that.”

Filbo’s face lit up immediately, his infectious smile spreading from ear to ear. “Ok Buddy! Let’s get you to bed.” he stated as he offered me his arm. With some hesitation I slipped mine over his, and we set off at a slow pace. On the way up he talked about what had been going on while I was out, and his plans for throwing another party soon, since we had more of the Snaxburg residents back in town- as a way to celebrate and to help bring them closer.

I wasn’t sure how well that would work out, as the last one didn’t go as planned, but I wasn’t about to crush his excitement.

Once he was sure I had climbed safely back onto my ship, we said our goodbyes. I eased myself into bed, ignoring the protests of my very sore body; my basic cot had never felt more comfortable. As I let my drowsiness take over, I mused on the colorful denizens of this place. I still felt strange about the care Triffany and Wambus had given me, but I couldn’t deny that it was nice.

It made me feel a little less alone on this endeavor to uncover the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I fell head over heels in love with this game + the characters, and couldn't get this idea out of my head. I did my best to match with the game's mix of humor and seriousness so this didn't turn out awkward or too angsty. I've got a few more story ideas in mind- and while I can't promise I'll write all of them, I am open to suggestions for more one-offs!
> 
> I am also open to constructive criticism, whether it be the story or my characterization of anyone.
> 
> Edit 1/7/21- Added quest artwork drawn by me!


	2. Overnight Oaths

“Overnight Oaths”

(Grumpuses in town: Filbo, Beffica, Wambus, Triffany, Gramble, Wiggle, Chandlo, Snorpy, Cromdo)

I sat perched on the edge of my ship- with my journal, pictures, and notes laid out in front of me, and a lamp illuminating my makeshift workspace. When I wasn’t helping Filbo or the others, I was here, piecing together what evidence I had on the many mysteries in my lap.

With the return of Chandlo and Snorpy several days ago came a significant set of clues. The first being a map to an underground door, up on the Frosted Peak. I was burning to get there, but the only safe trail was still blocked with snow, and Wambus and Triffany had their paws too full at the moment to shovel it out. So for now, I had to cool my heels.

The second was the missing key to Eggabell’s chest; I now had the third reel of footage documenting the days before Liz's disappearance, and as an added bonus, full access to the left behind medical supplies.

With what I could do for the Lizbert case accomplished for time time being, I focused my energy on the thing that first drew me here- the Bugsnax.

There were so many things about them I hadn’t fully wrapped my head around yet- like how they had no established food chain. Bugsnax only went after each other if they were provoked or baited with sauce. A normal ecosystem would have some type of predator in it, and while the Grumpuses could count, the island hadn’t been inhabited for a long time; how did the population keep itself in check without them?

In that vein, how did Bugsnax reproduce? Clearly it wasn’t at a rate that the island was swarmed and the vegetation destroyed (though they didn’t eat that either), but they had to keep up their numbers somehow.

‘ _I’ve seen ‘em pop out of the ground, fresh and gooey-like._ ’ Wambus had said. Knowing that, I understood why he was attempting to garden them, but it felt like there was still a key component we were both missing. Time would tell at least, if any of the bugsnak plots he made started sprouting.

Then there was the concerning trend of using them as a… solution, of sorts, for things eating at you- whether as food, a fixation, or both.

‘ _It can be hard dealing with your problems alone, y’know?_ ’

‘ _... it’d mean a lot if you could help the others._ ’

Filbo’s words swam through my thoughts. His modest request had been rather big to ask of someone he had barely known for two days then, and there was no guarantee that the others would be as open as he and Wambus were.

Yet, as time goes on, I’m finding myself able to break the ice with them and help, even if it was only a small step in the right direction. Although it was probably because they didn’t have anyone else to talk to, a small part of myself hoped it was because they genuinely liked me.

I let out a heavy sigh and focused back on the papers in front of me. My eyes were starting to sag from lack of sleep, but I couldn’t go to bed until I felt I had made decent progress. Just one more hour...

“Hey, you alright Buddy?”

“ _YEEK!_ ”

I jumped, tossing my journal up in the air with a flourish, and sent my notes and bookmarks everywhere in a dazzling rain of chunky confetti. Filbo immediately rushed over to help pick up my things, rattling out apologies as he did.

“ _Sorry_ , sorry! D-didn’t mean to startle you like that!” he stammered as he pawed handfuls of scattered papers back to me.

I couldn’t help but laugh a little as I started tucking my records back into a now very bare-looking journal. “You’re fine, Filbo. I was just lost in my thoughts.” I said tiredly.

“Ah, yeah, I know that feeling.” he chuckled awkwardly, plucking a few notes trying to make an escape off the rocks nearby. Filbo stared at them for a moment before giving them back to me. “How’s the search going?” he asked quietly.

I huffed through my nose, running a paw over my sore eyes. “It’s going.” I mumbled.

I wanted to tell him what Snorpy told me, show him the map to the door- he was missing his closest friend, he deserved to know what I knew; but something in my gut told me to wait. I didn’t want to get Filbo’s hopes up only for him to be let down again.

So I had to keep it vague.

“I’m still waiting to take a look up on the Frosted Peak... and until I can get to the rest of the island I think I’ve got what clues there are to be found around here. Right now I’m doing some investigating on Bugsnax.” I said with a yawn, gesturing to my now very messy pile of records and pictures.

“And uhh, how’s that going?” Filbo queried. “Find out anything interesting?”

I scrunched up my snout in thought and found it hard to focus on any of my notes.

“Maybe? So far it’s nothing we don’t already know. I th…” another yawn rolled over me, morphing my words into nonsense before I could stop it. “I think.” I finished as I rubbed my face. “I’m not an entomologist, just a writer who can use big words sometimes. I’d have to go over my observations with a Grump more well versed in this area.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.” Filbo said. “Don’t wanna go making any wild guesses and be way off the mark, heh-ha.”

There was a long pause between us while I reorganized my workstation. I tried to ignore it, but I could tell Filbo wanted to say something more- it was starting to become a sixth sense for me.

“You’ve got something on your mind.” I stated bluntly.

He said nothing at first, opting to rub at the back of his head. “Are you, uh, planning to… go to sleep anytime soon, Buddy?” he asked meekly. “It’s getting kinda late, a-and I made Liz and Egg’s bed for you.”

Oh, I see where this was going now.

“I’ll head to bed in a few, need to reorganize my notes and put stuff away before I can sleep.” I reassured him.

Filbo’s demeanor flipped at the drop of a hat. “You said that last night,” he responded flatly. “and you were still here when I woke up.”

“One more hour and I’ll go to bed.”

“And you’ve said _that_ the last _three_ nights!” Filbo whined. “Buddy, I really appreciate everything you’ve been doing for me and the others, Snaxburg wouldn’t be where it is without you, but… you gotta take some time to _rest_. It’s unhealthy to be pushing yourself this hard.” he finished softy.

He had me pinned. I couldn’t argue with the fact that I had been burning the candle at both ends for a while now- with catching bugsnax, lending a paw here and there, and doing my investigations, it was hard to quit with so much on my mind.

I sighed in defeat.

“Ok, ok, I’ll go to bed now.” I groused. “Just let me tuck this stuff back into my bag at least.”

______________________________

It was over two hours later and I was still awake.

I had tried counting sheep, thinking of the most boring things possible, even doing a little jogging in place to tire my body out some more. Exhaustion was seeped into every fiber of my being, but my mind was buzzing.

My paws itched to write, to draw, to do _something_ productive and get these thoughts out of my head. There was so much going on that sleeping felt like slacking off now. I couldn’t relax knowing there were places I hadn’t checked for signs of Lizbert and more secrets to unravel about the Bugsnax- but, I couldn’t go back to my ship knowing that Filbo would be distressed that I hadn’t slept either.

… Then again, Filbo was already asleep. As long as I made it back to bed before 5 AM he wouldn’t know I had stayed up. Aside from Gramble possibly sleepwalking, there wouldn’t be anyone else up to see me sneak out and do just a little more work.

I pulled the covers off of myself and made my way quietly to the door, taking a cautionary look around the small town to make doubly sure no one else was awake. My eyes fell on Filbo’s hut, and the briefest pang of guilt hit me, knowing I was going against his well-meaning request. I sent out a quiet apology towards him before leaving Liz’s home.

I eased my way along the grassy road, hugging the fence of Gramble’s ranch, just in case Wambus or Triffany was a light sleeper and heard my shifty footsteps. Just a few more feet past the Snaxburg sign and I’d be in the clear-

“Where are you going, dawg?”

I slapped my paws over my mouth to stifle a scream and felt like I was going to explode out of my fur. I whipped around to see Chandlo, casually leaning on one of the signposts.

“Oh my _grump_ , Chandlo. Please don’t do that to me.” I whispered shakily, gently patting a paw over my racing heart. I was _definitely_ going to die from shock if Grumpuses kept surprising me like this. Or maybe all those ghost stories were getting to me.

Even in the dim light I could see Chandlo biting his lip to stifle a laugh. “Sorry Bud-bro, didn’t mean to almost scare you snakless.” he said in a quiet tone. “Seriously though, what are you doing up so late? I didn’t take you for the evening exercise type.”

Well, there went one excuse for me. Though I really couldn't lie to him anyways- I had done that once already for Snorpy’s sake and he saw right through it, and the dirty looks he gave me for the rest of the night made me feel a special kind of bad for not being honest with him.

“I… can’t sleep. Wanted to get some fresh air and clear my mind.” I whispered. “Maybe do a little more writing in my journal, go for a walk… what are _you_ doing up late?” I retorted.

Chandlo gave me his special disapproving stare. “Filbo asked me to keep an eye out in case you went back to your ship.”

“Of course he did.” I groaned. “Look, can you please say you didn’t see me?” I pleaded, paws pressed together. “ _Please_ , just this once? I’m going nuts just lying in bed, and I want to do something productive if I’m going to be awake anyways.” I sold my request further by trying to put on my best impression of Filbo’s puppy-dog eyes.

Chandlo was unmoved. “No go, dawg. When was the last time you got a full night’s sleep anyways?” he asked.

My mouth hung open. “Uh...”

I couldn’t recall. I had gotten so used to my sleepless routine that the days had started to blur together. My brow furrowed in concentration while I tried to think of a good enough answer, and the longer I took the more concerned Chandlo grew.

“Bro… this isn’t healthy, and you know that.” he warned, shaking his head at me. “I’m all about pushing your limits, but you're pushing yours in the wrong direction. If you keep this up you’re gonna collapse!”

“Finding Liz and Eggabell is important, but you gotta take care of yourself first, dawg,” Chandlo moved from his spot against the signpost and stood next to me. “And if you’re not going to do it, I’ll do it for you!”

“What do you-” was all I got out before strong green arms hoisted me into the air. Chandlo had lifted me up like I was nothing more than a sack of flour.

“ _Chandlo!_ What are you doing?!” I hissed, trying to keep my voice down.

“Putting you to bed, dawg!” he answered as he walked back towards Liz’s hut, his own voice not as quiet as I would’ve liked. I was thoroughly flustered at this point over being picked up so casually, and was immensely thankful no one else was awake to see this. For the briefest moment I pondered trying to wiggle free of his strong, caring embrace, but shot that plan down immediately as it would only draw attention to my failed nighttime outing- and he would just pick me up again.

Resigning myself to my fate, I buried my face in my paws as he carried me back in through the doorway of Liz's home and gently put me down on the bed. I let out an annoyed sigh as I settled in.

“So, now what? Are you going to stand guard here all night?” I asked as I stared up into the ceiling.

“Nah bro, I’m gonna help you fall asleep!” Chandlo said with a grin, his arms held out wide. “I’ve got some bedtime routines and meditation tricks I can teach you so you can get back on a healthy sleep cycle."

I balked. “You… don’t have to do that. I’ll fall asleep eventually.”

He shook his head and sat himself on the foot of the bed. “Bro, you’ve helped me out a lot- like recently, with that Mama Mewon! I would’ve been dead for sure if I had tried to face that giant on my own!” he said with a slight dramatic flair. “I don’t mind teaching you how to rest that head of yours.”

His expression softened. “Besides- the Grumps here? They care about you, dawg. He’s too shy to say it, but I know Snorpy does too.” Chandlo said quietly. “We all want you to be safe. Snaxburg is finally starting to feel like home again thanks to you and Filbo.”

I felt a fuzzy warmth bloom inside my chest at hearing his sentiment- that small part of myself hoping the others liked me was singing. I still wasn’t used to someone caring this much about my wellbeing, much less a whole group of Grumpuses, but... I wouldn't mind it staying a permanent trend.

With that in mind, I made a personal note to apologize to Filbo in the morning for making him worry.

“I guess I’ve underestimated how much of an impact I’ve had here.” was all I could say in response. “...Thanks, Chandlo.”

“You’re a good Grump, Buddy, don’t ever forget that.” he affirmed warmly. Chandlo adjusted his position on the bed so he was fully facing me, and I did the same.

“Alright, bro! Let's start out with some basic stretches to get that body relaxed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was incredibly hard for me to write for some reason. I had a first draft almost done before I looked at it again and felt most of what I had written didn't look good. I set up a completely different document with cut paragraphs to make editing easier, haha.
> 
> Thank you again for reading! As always, I'm open to suggestions/prompts for future chapters, and open to constructive criticism or any other input you might have.
> 
> 12/21/20- Made a few small edits, mainly tightening up dialogue.  
> 1/12/21- Added chapter art.


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